Carrboro is the largest municipality in North Carolina without a library, but that will change next February when the new library and civics complex opens up on South Greensboro Street. The building will be home of Carrboro’s library branch, the Parks and Rec Department, WCOM Radio, the teen center, the performance space, and the Orange County Skills Development Center.
Last May, we mentioned that Carrboro and Orange County were asking people what to name this structure — and that we thought Bob Drakeford deserved the honor. Drakeford was the first Black mayor of Carrboro who planned the Chapel Hill-Carrboro bus system, increased the town’s commercial base, and created many of Carrboro’s bikeways, He died in 2022. You can read more about him here.
Great news! We’re getting a Drakeford Library
Our campaign worked! The Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted in favor of naming the building the Drakeford Library Complex on Thursday, Nov. 7 while the Carrboro Town Council approved the new building name on Tuesday, Oct. 15. The elected bodies supported the recommendation of a Naming Committee comprised of members from the Orange County Board of County Commissioners, Carrboro Town Council, and Friends of the Library.
One of those Friends of the Library on the Naming Committee was Nerys Levy. Levy, an artist and a key leader of the annual Carrboro Community Dinner, has championed building the library for over 35 years, and also deserves recognition in this effort. Without her dogged efforts, we would not have a library branch. We hope that the children’s room or lobby or another part of the facility can be named for Levy, who leads the Friends of the Library and has never let go of of the vision for a library in Carrboro. Thank you Nerys!